Healthcare volunteers in Kurdistan Region demand permanent employment

ERBIL – Healthcare volunteers from hospitals across the Kurdistan Region gathered outside the Council of Ministers in Erbil on Monday to demand permanent employment. Many of these volunteers have been working for years in public hospitals, hoping their service would lead to stable government jobs.

In the Kurdistan Region, ‘volunteering’ is often seen as a pathway to public sector employment, rather than purely an altruistic endeavor.

Yadgar Qani, a volunteer from Halabja, held a sign reading, “Until when will we work as volunteers?” Speaking to 964media, he said, “We have been volunteering in health centers across the region for 10 years, and we are requesting permanent employment or contracts. We serve the health sector without any rights or benefits. We ask the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister [Masrour Barzani] to address our employment situation, as has been done in other parts of Iraq.”

For many in Iraq and Kurdistan, securing a public sector job has long been regarded as a reliable path to financial stability, offering job security and benefits. Volunteers like Qani believe their long-term contributions should be rewarded with permanent roles within the public healthcare system.

These healthcare volunteers, who signed formal agreements not to ask for wages or benefits, have been crucial in addressing staff shortages. However, the Kurdistan Regional Government has been unable to hire them due to financial constraints exacerbated by budget disputes with Baghdad and fluctuating oil revenues.

Since 2013, the KRG has faced a prolonged financial crisis, limiting public sector hiring, including in healthcare. Despite playing a crucial role, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has not been able to offer these volunteers permanent positions.

Abdulrahman Salim, a volunteer from Erbil, stated, “I have been volunteering for a year and eight months, and no new healthcare workers have been officially hired in the last decade. We are demanding permanent employment, especially since we played a crucial role during the Covid-19 pandemic.” Salim compared their situation to that of non-contractual lecturers who recently secured permanent positions after a lengthy struggle.

Healthcare volunteers are now following the path of 38,000 lecturers, who secured permanent employment through a government decree in August 2024 after years of temporary work without contracts. This reflects the broader labor struggles in the region as public sector workers fight for permanent employment after years of essential contributions without formal status.

Rahel Faraidoon, Deputy Minister of Health for the Kurdistan Region, explained that his ministry had paused registering new volunteers until clear regulations could be established. “We have halted registering new ones until we can issue regulations through the Council of Ministers. We have many volunteers, but there is no clear pathway for their future,” Faraidoon said.

The Ministry of Health has submitted a proposal that would formalize the process, granting physicians, pharmacists, and dentists medical certification and certain privileges after three years of volunteer work. Other healthcare workers would receive their certifications after two years, allowing them to pursue private-sector employment or open their own clinics.

Faraidoon emphasized that certified volunteers would be prioritized for government employment when opportunities arise and would also have better access to further studies and private-sector jobs.

Despite these proposed solutions, the KRG has yet to act on requests to employ over 3,500 volunteers. Faraidoon concluded, “We have employed more than 1,400 volunteers over the past several years to fill gaps in hospitals and health facilities. Last month, we again requested the Kurdistan Regional Government to employ 3,500 of these volunteers.”